The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scottish Tories accuse Sturgeon of lying about Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of lying about when she first knew of concerns about Alex Salmond’s behaviour after she was grilled by Andrew Ma r r during the SNP conference.
The Sco t t ish Conservatives made the accusation as the first minister declined to say whether she would welcome Mr Salmond back into the SNP.
Ms Sturgeon’s handling of claims of misconduct by her predecessor was scrutinised when she appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
A clip of one of her previous interviews on the show was played back to her.
Ms Sturgeon was shown the interview, originally broadcast in October 2018, when Mr Marr asked her if she had heard “any stories” about Mr Salmond before concerns about his behaviour were revealed in the press.
The first minister watched herself answering: “Of this nature, absolutely not. I have said previously Alex Salmond informed me about these complaints in April, that was the first I have known.”
Mr Marr turned to Ms Sturgeon and asked if her statement was true.
Ms Sturgeon answered: “I stand by what I said back then. I have set out what I knew and when.”
Mr Marr pointed out that since that interview Ms
Sturgeon had made a written submission to the Salmond inquiry which suggested she knew of concerns some six months before Mr Salmond told her of the complaints against him in April 2018.
In her submission to the Salmond inquiry made last month, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP received a query from Sky News in November 2017 concerning “allegations of sexual misconduct” on the part of Mr Salmond.
Her submission also confirmed that she met Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein, to discuss allegations of a sexual nature on March 29 2018.
Mr Marr remarked there was a “big gap” between what she had told the inquiry and what she said to his viewers.
But Ms Sturgeon claimed Mr Marr was “conflating two issues”.
The first minister said: “What I have also set out in that written evidence was that Sky News back in November the previous year had raised a query about allegations about Alex Salmond.
“So you are conflating two separate issues.”
But Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “The first minister has clearly lied about when she knew of allegations of sexual misconduct against Alex Salmond.
“Nicola S t u r g e o n’s weak political spin that
Andrew Marr was conflating two issues doesn’t wash.
“He point-blank asked the first minister if she had heard any stories about Alex Salmond and she claimed to only find out in April.
“Her answer was not even in the realms of the truth.”
Earlier this year, Mr Salmond was cleared of all sex offence charges at the conclusion of a criminal trial.